When he gets to the sidelines, I swear he peers up here like he has a GPS to where I am exactly. He doesn’t look at the suite, he looks at me. The others don’t realize because I’m sure they’re looking at their guys, but his gaze trains on me, and my stomach drops. I could tell myself a lot of things. It’s the excitement from the game coursing through me. The energy going through this stadium could probably power an entire city, so of course it’s rubbing off on me, but the longer we stare at each other, the more it’s apparent.

  My breath shallows out when the thought pops into my head. Damn. Levi Soucy really does like me.

  The Wildcats snarl breaks my focus, and I peer out toward the field where the opposing team is kicking off. One of the teal jerseys catches it and starts to run the ball toward the opposite end. He doesn’t make it very far when he is tackled to the ground. Right after, those players come off and other players make it onto the field. I spy a number seven with Parker written across his back. That’s Briar’s husband. A number seventeen runs into the huddle, Farmer written across his back. Charley’s boyfriend.

  I tick them off until I finally see number nineteen. Well, actually, I spot his backside first, then move my gaze to his number and Soucy in white block letters. He yells something out and points down field before getting in a running position. I can’t look away from him. Reid snaps the ball, and Levi takes off like he was just released from confinement. He sprints down the field, and cuts into the middle. I haven’t taken my eyes off him so I don’t realize Reid threw him the ball until it gets in my line of sight. I stand, the crowd in front of us doing the same. The stadium erupts as soon as the ball hits Levi’s hands. Quickly, he tucks it into his side and takes off. He runs and runs, dodging players from the opposite team, jumping out of the way of their hands when they try to tackle him, and when he’s so close, he leisurely walks into the end zone.

  The crowd goes wild. I start jumping up and down, and beside me, everyone else is too. Clapping and cheering, screaming. On the field, a camera man runs up to Levi, and suddenly, his face is on every single screen, and even on the jumbotron. He points at the camera, then at himself, and then makes a heart with his hands, winking into the lens until I swear every woman in this place is now yelling louder than the men.

  “Oh my gosh, it must be true!” Jo squeals.

  “What?” Briar asks.

  “Tipper told me Levi asked the guys for advice on what to do when you really like a girl. They all gave him shit, of course, but it must be true!”

  My stomach squeezes. Levi talked to his teammates about me? I’m about to melt into the floor with how sweet that is.

  “I’ve been waiting for this,” Briar exclaims. “He’s too sweet to keep acting like he didn’t want to fall in love. Aww!”

  “But who?” Charley and Rae-bae ask at the same time.

  “I’m sure we’ll find out sooner or later,” Jo answers.

  None of them are looking at me, but it feels as if thousands of pairs of eyes are focused on me right now. I peer down the line toward Raeann. She’s still clapping, Athena lying at her feet. I don’t even know what to think, but it’s clear my body has succumbed to the idea that Levi likes me. I’m almost out of breath. The warmest, gooiest feelings are settling in my heart, and my stomach flips with excitement.

  Levi Soucy likes someone, and he just told the whole world.

  12

  Levi

  Post game exhilaration sets in. What an amazing game. It’s like I was back in high school when my dad would come to the games, and I wanted to score so many touchdowns in front of him. That same feeling threaded through every play I was on the field for, and even managed to score three for Tab.

  My teammates slap me on the back as they head to their lockers. “Sou-cy! Let’s go!”

  Usually, I’m all up for celebrating when we’ve had a great game. I’ll stand with my teammates recounting plays and talking shit, but my mind is elsewhere tonight. A beautiful brown-haired girl with blue eyes.

  “Alright, who is she?” Davis asks.

  “Who?” I have to hide a smile in my locker for being facetious.

  “Come on,” Farmer says. “We all saw it. Your little camera point and the heart.”

  “You all made it clear that you don’t care.” I grab my stuff for the shower and try to walk away, even though I’m secretly loving this.

  Micah shows up next, sitting on the bench by his locker. “Aren’t you going to ask us to go out?”

  “Nope.”

  “You always do,” Reid states.

  “And you always say no,” I remind them as I make my way to the shower.

  “Not always.” Farmer calls out after me.

  Since I’m the first in the shower area, I get my pick of heads and wash up as quickly as possible while also doing a thorough job. I don’t know how I’m going to see Tab tonight, but I am. I pull out my phone, quickly sending a text:

  Me: Are you still here?

  Tab: Heading to the limo now.

  Tab: I can’t believe I just texted those words. Did you know Athena has her own dog treats in that thing?

  Not surprising. Micah always goes above and beyond, but I get it. If Tab wanted to ride around in a limo all the time with a chocolate colored strawberries dispenser, I’d figure out a way.

  Me: I want to see you tonight.

  She doesn’t respond right away, so I put the phone down and finish my shower. When I’m done, I turn off the water and grab the towel to soak up the droplets running down my torso and legs, then my hair before wrapping it around my waist.

  The guys are all still standing around our lockers when I come back out. Davis nods to Micah, and Micah clears his throat. All of their eyes are on me, so I peer around. “Jesus. What is it now?”

  Reid gestures to the big guy still sitting on the bench. “Micah has something to say.”

  I turn toward Micah, and I can tell he wants to roll his eyes. “I’m sorry we were so insensitive,” he states, staring around at the guys.

  I peer around at them, too, and they’re nodding. I have to hold back a laugh. “That was the worst apology I’ve ever heard.”

  “It was pretty bad,” Davis says, backing me up.

  “Even so, it was true.” Micah peers up at me. “It’s just so easy to rag on you that I can’t help it sometimes.”

  “Wow, you guys are pulling out all the stops just to find out who I like. Interesting.”

  Reid sighs. “No, we just realized we were being dicks. You genuinely asked us for help, and we teased you. We weren’t being very good teammates, and we’re all sorry.”

  “I actually said I thought he was being sincere,” Davis notes. “No one listened to me.”

  The rest of the guys glare at him, and I chuckle. “Apology accepted. Now can we talk about something else?”

  “No, we want to know how the wooing is going.”

  “It’ll be going better once I leave here.”

  “Do you need advice?” Micah asks.

  “Nope. Pretty sure I have it handled. She’s starting to fall for me, I can feel it.”

  I change quickly, then run the towel through my hair again before styling it. Farmer wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Aww, look at our little pumpkin. He’s heading off into the great big world all by himself.”

  “Fuck off,” I retort, playfully shoving him away.

  I grab my things and leave, walking backward as they all blow kisses at me and wave, pitching their voices high as they say goodbye coupled with pet names like sugar and sweetheart. Right before I turn the corner to leave, Davis says, “Man, I’m going to be the last bachelor. This sucks.”

  I might have to message him privately because I never knew what I was missing out on until I realized Tab was the one.

  Once I’m in the underground parking garage, I check my phone again. My stomach flips when I see that Tab has responded.

  Tab: Well…

  Tab: Raeann just told me that her and Athena are going to Micah’s tonight. Do you maybe want to come over?

  While I’m holding the phone, she texts again.

  Tab: You don’t have to.

  I quickly type out a response. She’d written the first two messages five minutes ago, so she probably got cold feet when I didn’t respond. I can just picture her biting her lip, waiting for me to answer and trying to act cool around Raeann all at the same time.

  Me: No, I’m coming. Sorry, the guys were giving me shit.

  Me: I’ll text you when I get there.

  I hop in the car and maneuver through the streets of Nashville as fast as traffic will allow. I don’t head straight to Tab’s place though. Instead, I stop off at a big box store, running into the place and heading for the flower department. It won’t be as beautiful as the arrangement I got her from the flower shop, but all of those places are closed this late at night.

  I pick out a bouquet and a cute teddy bear the size of a coffee mug who’s holding a balloon that has Love scrawled across it and head toward the self-checkouts. I ring them up, run back to my car, and then take the time to change into the special shirt I had planned on wearing for our next encounter. I chuckle when I pull it over my head, loving how snug it is. It’s at least one size too small for me, and I know I look like a fuckboy, but that’s the idea.

  Tab’s going to get the biggest kick out of this.

  It hits me then. That’s how I’ve been living my life since I first saw her at the coffee shop again. Not for football. Not for me. But for what I can do for her. How can I make her see that my feelings are real? How can I make her happy? How can I put a smile on her face?

  Back in my car, I go as fast as legally allowed until I’m pulling up to their building. The fire escape looms ahead, daunting in the dark. Nashville isn’t really quiet at night, not all the time, but it’s subdued, slower than normal, and a bit peaceful in its sleepiness. The easy route to take would be to march into the foyer, go straight to the elevator, and see Tab in less than a few minutes.

  But I’m not convinced Micah doesn’t have the place under surveillance, or an agreement with the front desk regarding visitors. So, instead, I take one last look at the lit front entrance and then switch back to the fire escape. My only option.

  I lock up my car, grab the flowers and walk toward the fire escape. Game day soreness has already settled in, and every step up the metal stairs feels like a challenge, but eventually, I get to the top. Out of breath, muscles protesting, but I’m there. Inside, I spot Tab in her robe. She’s holding shirts up to her body as if she’s trying to decide on which to wear. Clearly, she’s not ready for me yet, but I’m fine with that.

  I knock gently on the window, and she jumps, a small scream escaping. She whirls around, and the terror filled look on her face is replaced with agitation. “Levi Soucy, what the fuck?”

  I just smile big at her and show her the flowers and teddy bear. She wraps the robe more tightly around herself and marches to the window. She heaves it up. “What are you doing?”

  “You invited me over.”

  “I thought you would come up the normal way.”

  “Are you crazy?” I step inside, unfolding my body and then gleefully taking a seat on her bed to rest, using the flowers and the teddy bear to cover my shirt. “Micah probably has this place locked down.”

  She eyes me, and I watch her when she sighs. “Yeah, you’re right.” She moves over to her closet and starts replacing clothes back inside. “Plus, I don’t know that Rae-bae’s actually gone yet. She came back here with me to grab clothes.”

  I wait for her to say something about the gifts I brought her, or anything, really, but she doesn’t. “I’ll have you know scaling that thing is no easy task. Especially after a game. Just another way I’m showing you how deep I’m into this.”

  A high-pitched chuckle comes from behind me. “You’re something else.”

  I sit up, watching her put the clothes away. “Did you see my heart?”

  “I saw it,” she says softly.

  “It was for you.”

  “There’s really no telling,” she teases. “It’s not like you said my name.”

  I smile. “My mistake. I’ll endeavor to do better next time.”

  She closes her closet doors, and I sit up on my knees, moving the flowers and the teddy bear out of the way to show her my shirt. When she turns, she shakes her head, but then her gaze lowers to the words across my chest and torso, and she bursts out laughing.

  “I used your name this time.” I push my chest out, making sure she can read every word of For Tab’s Eyes Only. “I know you were jealous of that website dedicated to my ass, so I thought I’d make it obvious who I’m here to impress.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” she jokes. She can’t stop laughing though, her blue eyes alive, almost dancing.

  Hearing the joy in her voice makes me preen even more. “I also got you these.”

  She takes the flowers and teddy bear, and after a quick sniff of the blooms, she sets them on her nightstand. “They’re pretty. Thank you.”

  She stands awkwardly next to the bed, like I’ve invaded her space. I have, and I won’t apologize for it.

  “So, what do you do after a game?”

  “Wind down.”

  “Like…?”

  Major sex vibes waft off her. My dick immediately goes hard. We’re both thinking the same thing, I can feel it. “Any number of things.”

  “Like…?” she asks again.

  I beam at her. “Tab, if you want to fuck me, just say so.”

  Tab

  Levi pulls me down to the bed. He spreads my knees wide, my robe all but coming off in the process. My heart rate starts to spike. It’s not nerves though.

  “Now, where were we before you so rudely interrupted us last time?”

  Surprisingly, while Levi crawls toward me, there’s no voice in my head asking me what the fuck we’re doing. Instead, excitement brims. The way he gazes at me, it feels like before.

  At the moment, Levi just looks like a man who wants what he wants. His eyes feast all over me. Well, the parts of me that I’ll let him see. The voice inside that wanted him before shouts in glee. Mission accomplished. Levi, on his knees for me. Literally.

  “God damn,” he says, so close his breath fans against my exposed skin, making pleasure pool low in my belly. It’s sort of a relief. I had a healthy relationship with my sex toys pre-fire, but after, I haven’t been in the mood, nor would I know if I still have sex toys. They were probably all burned up. Hopefully unrecognizable⁠—

  “What are you thinking about?” Levi asks, his voice husky.

  I focus on him. That cut jaw is enough to excite anyone.

  His lips pull up. “You had a cute pinch in the middle of your forehead.” He reaches out, placing his pointer finger above the bridge of my nose. It’s the first time he’s touched me.

  I swallow. “You don’t want to know.”

  “I absolutely do.”

  “I was wondering if the firemen saw my sex toys after the fire.”

  He cocks his head. “I’m a little turned on and a little insulted. Insulted because you’re thinking about sex toys while my tongue is this close to your pussy.”

  “There was a whole thought process,” I say, my breaths deepening as he moves closer to exactly where I want him.

  “Tell me,” he all but moans, hovering.

  “I was thinking⁠—”

  He places his hands under my ass and yanks me closer. I nearly squeal.

  “Go on.”

  “I was thinking that I was actually turned on, and I haven’t been in a while.”

  He starts feathering touches everywhere around my pussy. “Which lead you to sex toys?”

  “I had some,” I admit. “Then I wondered if the firemen had found them and how embarrassing that would be. Like there’s nothing left of anything, except my stash of sex toys in the drawer by my bed?” A laugh escapes, and then another.

  Levi turns his attention toward me, the biggest grin on his face, showing off his perfect teeth. God-like looks. “Do you usually laugh during intimate moments?”

  “I prefer to laugh through everything,” I admit, and my own words hit me hard. That used to be true about me. Always quick with a joke or some comedic remark. It’s something I haven’t been doing too much lately…until recently. Until very recently. Like the old me is coming back.

  Levi looks toward the ceiling. “I pray this woman does not give me a complex.”

  There are so many comments I could make about that, but Levi gets serious. “Prepare to be amazed. They don’t call me Big Dick Levi for nothing.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing if you’re as good as you think you are.”

  “Baby, I’m better.”

  The laughter in my throat dissolves into a moan as he licks up my center. He unties the knot in my robe and then fans out the sides. Air hits my breasts, peaking my nipples. He moans into my clit, the sound vibrating through me. Aw, hell. I fist the sheets, torn between wanting to lie back and enjoy it and needing to see every little thing of what Levi does to me. This is only the hottest man I’ve ever met sandwiched between my thighs.

  I suppose I should thank my manifesting skills. Though, the universe had a funny way of bringing me here.

  Levi’s movements are so slow, tantalizing. I’ve always been with men who just went straight in and got the job done, but he’s taking his time, like he’s committing me to memory. A swirl there. A kiss along my folds. Sucking my clit briefly until I’m writhing on the bed.

  “Fuck, Tab. You’re perfect.”